‘Occupy’ banners fly along New York highways

The Occupy Democracy Project held a banner drop this morning in celebration of the first birthday of Occupy Wall Street, coming this Monday, Gannett Albany’s Haley Viccaro reports.

During their morning commute, drivers on I-87 and I-95 from Albany to New York saw the banners on overpass bridges.

There were 99 banners, each written with one reason “to get money out of politics for the 99 percent,” according to a news release. The banners expressed the organization’s opposition to the influence of corporate money in politics, which its supporters believe is behind the critical problems of our time.

“Our banners’ statement is that we need to stop the devastating effect of uncontrolled campaign contributions on our democracy,” said Matthew Edge, organizer for the Occupy Democracy Project, in a statement.

The banners urge the public to join the Money Out of Politics Voter Bloc, which supports politicians who believe in campaign-finance reform, according to the release.

“We hope our message will stimulate the national discussion about how corporate and special interests are corrupting the political process through influencing politicians’ positions on key issues,” Edge said.

The Occupy Wall Street movement began Sept. 17, 2011, when hundreds of disgruntled New Yorkers filled a Manhattan park, living in tents and protesting around the clock. The movement spread to hundreds of cities around the world, where demonstrators objected to the growing disparity between the rich and poor, calling the wealthiest citizens the “1 percent” and everyone else “the 99 percent.”